Unusual Vintage Station Track

[Super]

Every once in a while I am surprised at seeing something I haven't seen before. Here is a Vintage Tomy/Plarail Station Platform Accessory that has a couple very short Double Track pieces that enable the Station Platform to sit in the middle of the track. I don't think I have even seen these separately in a bulk listing although they might be easily overlooked. Buy the looks of the starting price it may be very rare. Anyone else seen or heard of these before? https://www.jauce.com/auction/s715280591

I've seen the station in sets like this:



And I've seen the track pieces sold separately:



I've even seen them both together in a set:



But I've never seen them sold as a separate item like the one you've found.

[Super]

Excellent, Thanks Dr Chris. Now I would know what to look for as I have seen those 2 different stations being sold on the auctions before. The sold separate station looks to be different than those that come in the sets as the roof, pillars and floor are different which may be why this one is asked so much for, may be harder to find.

I was thinking those double track spliters would work great with the readily available station platforms that can be found everywhere like the ones pictured here. They look to be about the length of a half rail so they wouldn't take up much space.

Oh that station that i want. It very rare station.

I did set these up in an event before, the nightmare is the lack of 1/16 rails which resulted in overlapping tracks. Don’t buy unless you have plenty of 1/8 and 1/16 tracks. This station has 2 different variations, 1 station is slightly longer than the other and has a subtle error in rail calculation. To counter the error, a certain double rail part only in print for half a year is used to make both station’s lengths equal. In most applications, this station is lined up with 2 other stations side by side used as a terminal station (dead end station).

[Super]

@Drew

Which station are you referring to or is it any that have that type of stop & go track units.

First one. Think second one is same one is first one. I saw this station on FB group. I went back and had look. Look like there no on off switch. Maybe it auto one that train go in and sit there for bit and it goes itself. Wondering what that yellow thing on top of roof on station does?

[Super]

That picture would be the first one that Chrisjo pictured that came in a set. (blue platform floor, different pillars) By coincidence this base only, which is the green platform floored one in the first Post just was listed in the auctions that does show the workings underneath. It looks like it may release by how many times the wheels turn but can't be sure. I can't come up with a video. For just the platform that has missing parts underneath, 3 Bids came in pretty fast for this so it would seem its sought after.
https://www.jauce.com/auction/k439391307

Here's a page with some info on them, looks like there was an earlier version of the station with "dolls" and controls sticking out of the sides of the rails to be able to move them. Not long after it stopped being sold with "dolls" and the roof was changed to orange from red, and was sold individually (that must be the station in Super's original post) and in a set. Later it was redesigned with different colors and sold in the sets in Chris' post and at some point there was a yellow version.

http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~akeda/DOLL/buhin5.htm

This page has some information about the second set in Chris' post, seems like there was a ten or so year gap between the original late 60s station and the next one.

http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~akeda/DOLL/set2.htm

The station traps an incoming train and the wheels seem to power some kind of ringing bell and then gets released when the other train arrives. There were two versions of the late 60s early 70s set with different train designs.

[Super]

Thanks for that information Duck. The bell then must be that round thing on the right in the picture of the underside above which, when looking at the left side, you can see that it is rung by a cam on the shaft that goes to the wheel rollers.